The Rolling Stones Collaborate With Vilebrequin on Men's Swimwear

Rock 'n' roll meets St. Tropez chic.

At first glance, Vilebrequin, the St. Tropez-based beachwear brand known for matching dad-and-son trunks, doesn’t have much in common with the rock legends The Rolling Stones. But, says CEO Roland Herlory, "In 1971, Vilebrequin was founded in St. Tropez, and in the same year, Mick and Bianca Jagger got married in the city hall of St. Tropez! The whole band was actually in exile on the French Riviera."

Perhaps a pairing of the two was fated because the swimwear label is rolling out a small men’s collection in collaboration with the band this June, with a May 26 launch party at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica's bar, The Bungalow. "Working with The Rolling Stones is truly a huge opportunity," Herlory tells Pret-a-Reporter exclusively. "When their agent proposed that we do something together, we knew we had to take it on."

The CEO goes on to add, "Vilebrequin has always claimed to be inspired by its Tropez-ian ‘70s roots that are light-spirited and rock ’n’ roll. They are very close to our spirit in that way." The three-piece collab took inspiration from the band's 50th anniversary Exhibitionism show. Explains Herlory, "While the exhibit strips back the music, Vilebrequin strips down to reveal a line of swim shorts and beachwear for men. The Rolling Stones’ style has always been colorful, unconventional and fresh, all with an allure that is very inspiring for us."

Using a slew of images from the band’s iconic discography — with album covers created by artists including Andy Warhol, Robert Frank and David Bailey — the French brand made a patchwork print that it used on two men's trunks: the signature Moorea ($280) and flat-waisted Merise ($295). The third piece is a black T-shirt ($135) with the iconic tongue-and-lips logo, rendered in the same print.

To further celebrate the partnership, Vilebrequin produced 30 very limited-edition fishtail longboard skateboards printed with The Rolling Stones' logo and cover-art graphics that will be gifted at the launch party. The bash will also feature a "sharing box" photo booth and an interactive virtual graffiti wall, where invited guests can graffiti a digital pair of Vilebrequin trunks.

And although the Stones are not scheduled to be in L.A. for this tribute, Herlory feels confident that Jagger, Keith Richards et al will be rocking the collection in no time. "I’d imagine they’re extremely busy with the promotion of their exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London, but they should be on the beach soon!"